Zanzibar Travel Guide

by our Tanzania expert Terry Emery

Time after time on this magical island, you’ll suddenly catch a fragrant waft of the aromatic fragrances that led mariners to dub it the Spice Island - cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper. The reason for its acquisition and development by the Sultans of Arabia - it was once part of the sultanate of Oman - spices are still an important part of the economy of what is now the offshore segment of Tanzania. Tourism, however, is probably even more important now, with classic Indian Ocean beaches dotted all round the coasts providing a destination in their own right or a link to wildlife safaris on the East African mainland. The differing Zanzibar coasts offer an extremely wide choice of both style of beach vacation (dive off a traditional dhow on to a fantastic coral reef or atoll) as well as level of economy/luxury. Zanzibar is actually an archipelago of some 50 islands (‘Zanzibar’ the largest, some quite tiny) so you can opt for lively and energetic or remote and tranquil. Stone Town is the historic heart of the island’s capital, Zanzibar town, and is well worth spending time exploring and enjoying the hugely varied tasty and exotic cuisine. It was a mark of the region’s commercial importance that private and public buildings in the 17th C. began to use stone rather than wood for construction - hence the name.